Fractals Flow Simulation for Groundwater Flow with Varying Apertures by Using Analytic Element Method

Abstract

The work presented in this article is composed of 2-dimensional groundwater flow simulations for fractured porous media with different aperture of fractures by using the Analytic Element Method. In order to investigate the flow behavior and its effect on fractures, we considered different systems of fractures with varying apertures, hydraulic conductivities and orientations in the presence of uniform flow field and a well. We also introduced the matrix method to solve the problems for which the unknown coefficients are obtained from the discharge potential of all the elements present in the systems. The numerical solution of the prescribed problem is based on a series expansion, while the influence of each fracture is expressed in a series that satisfy Laplace’s equation.

Keywords

• fracture
• porous media
• matrix method
• analytic element method